Annealing-furnace.



w. 1.l BETTENDORP, DBc'lmj J W BETTENDOBF, ADMINISTRATOR AA.. a er ,Ul 1L r wm.. i @wm M. ,n e 4x. 2c# /Ageu HMT MH 1 du @VWM mx L; ux nm: m HM M Alrl 1 1 4 I l l l l 1 l Il? m 9 0, A 1 W? W. -P-.' BETTJEINDORP,Y DECD.

I. W. BETTBNDORF, ADMINISTRATOR.

ANNBALING PUMIAGE.y A APPLICATION IEILIIDl MAR. 27,1911.

- Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

.W. P. BETTENDORF, DECD. J. W. BETTENDOBF, ADMINISTRATOR.

ANNBALIN-G FURNAGB.

' APPLICATION FILED MAB..27,1911. v ,I

Patented Mar. 24, 1914 8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

im lZr 4 4 W. P, BETTBNDRP, DBCD. J w Bn'r'rmmor, Anmmsnuon A'NNEALING .FURN-AGB.

APPLIoAuoN FILED nu. 27,1911

Patented Mar. 24, 1914 W. P. BETTENDURF, DECD. J. W. BETTETDORE', ADMINISTRATOR.

ANNEALING FURNAGE. 'l

. APPLIOATION FILED MAB..27, 1911. 1,091,184.. Patented Mar. 24, 1914 6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. P. BETTEND'ORF, DEGD. J. w. BBTTENDORF, ADMINISTRATOR.

ANNBALING FURNAGB.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1911.

1 O91 184 Patented Mar. 24, 191% 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

l l l l 1 l l l L States. residing at Bettendorf;y in

this invention relates.

iinirnn srAfjrns PATENT oiriuor..

WILLIAM P. BETTENDORE, DEoEAsED, LATE oF BETTENDoR-F, IOWA,4 BY JOSEPH W. BETTENDORF, ADMINISTRATOR, or BEcrrnNDoRr, VIOWA.

ANNEALING-FIURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. v

To all fir/ioni. 'it nzfag/ con/:ern f Be it ,known that WI-LLIAWF. BETTEN- noiir, deceased, late a citizen of the' United of Scott and 4State of Iowa, did invent 'cerlain new and useful Improvements in Annealingl "urnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This inif'ention relates to improvements in steel annealing furnaces.

Heretofore it has been customary in annealing furnaces of the character to which to load'alarge car or truck with twenty, 'thirty Aor forty tons of castingsshove it into the furnace and start the fire. After, from three to live hours, the car was Withdrawn from. the same end 'of the furnace it entered., and the heated. mass cooled forfrom' five to six hours before it could he unloaded. During-this long wait the furnace becomes cooled down to a great extent and considerable fuel has to beex-- `pended to re-heat it to the required working temperature again. In addition to these obl Iicctions, the furnaces were so constructed that side-tracks and switches and a traveling crane were necessary for the convenientand proper handling of the cars and their loads, that involved` the useof considerable labor.

rl`he object of this invention is to provide an annealing furnace in which the work can be moved into the furnace, subjected to .the annealing of thel heat, andv discharged from the furnace. Without lowering the'teinperature of the furnace very-Inateriall)7 and re'- quiring the expenditure of a large amount of fuel to rest-ore it to its workin-g temperature.

Another object of said invenlion is to automatically loadl the cars or trucks used i'n connection With saidfurnace and'inove them step b v step, arranged one after the other with ,their ends in contact, into andout of thefurnace, unloadl them, and Rreturnthem to their placel of beginning yor starting'point,

and keep this cycle of operation ageing 4as These and other objects are accomplished y means hereinafter fully described and vas.

particularly pointed out in the claims.

ln'the drawings: Figure l isa longitudinal central section of my improved furnace. with the end approaches and mechanical structuresused in connection )Vith said apine county Y preaches broken away.` Fig. 2 is a plan vi w of the left hand or intake approach ofthe .furance broken away therefrom. Fig. 53 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig.A 4 is a the annealing' furnace atone end, and ont of the other without niatcriallvifv reducing the temperature of the annealing chainher: then moving the car, as it is discharged, onto an eleva-toil platlform, and lowering the car down to the upper partv of an inclined tunnelgt'he car being relieved of its load as it begins `to move downward. Then starting thecar down through the tunnel. which runs longitudinally under the furnace to an the elevator plat-forni therein, and then raising the same again to Vthe surface. As the last mentioned ele Yator reaches the liinitof its upward movement the car picks up the ready to be moved toward the charging end of the furnace again and to and through the saine, in its turn.

two and a half times las long as il: is wide, and has a ceiling A 'which is less in height at-its charging end,

is, say ten vfeethigb. 'lined vwith fire-brick, and the roof is an arch lined as to 'provi de dead air spaces (i to reduce the radiation. At itsrhargiiig end, it is provided with a verticalsliding doorl, and

drop-wall C that closes the upper end 'or ,upper portion of said end, but 'leaves an Patent-ea Mar. 24, 1914.. Applicationled March 27, 1911. Serial No. 617,254. l v

plairview of the right hand alliproachI or.

Fig. S is au end elci'ation of the Generally vspeaking, the scheine involved in this invention is to run the loaded car into 'elevator shaft located a lsuitable distance. beyond the opposite end of thc il^"urnace,L onto castings it is designed to carry, and is then,

The. furna'ce consists of a chamber about lfeet high. Ithan at its discharo'e-.end where it4 .J n i lheside-walls `are ith lire-brickfandpreferably, built so at its discharge end it provided with a ico opening of about the saine height as that of with the furnace, and suitable rails o 'are the entrance of theLch-arging end, which is closed by a vertical sliding door D.

The central portion of the floor` b of this furnace is depressed to frm a longitudinal `channel or run, the depth of which cor-' responds to the-height of the upper surface of the floor of the car used in connection secured in the bottom of this channel upon .which the wheels ci` of said car travel. The floor of the furnace, and the bottom and the sides of said channel are made of suit able refractory material, and at about the center of the height of its sides, the chan- -nel is made slightly wider to provide shoulders which support troughs E. These 'troughs extend the entire length of the furclosed by suitable end-plates that are provided, in alinement with aboutthe transverse center of the troughs, with vertical slits.

` The floors of each car consist of a metal sub-floor e, and a covering of fire-brick or l other refractorymaterial, and the altitude thereof above the rails, .and the width of the same are such that their 'longitudinal sides are in a vertical plane intersecting the centerlof width of the troughs E. The

side edges of the sub-floor e have shoes orv runnersf, f, consisting of vertical plates secured thereto by means of angles, g, and

the lower edges of these shoes depend below said floor and are buried in the sand as the cars pass through the annealing chamber. The engagement of these shoes withthe sand-troughs forms an effective seal and prevent-s the heat 'from the annealing chamber permeating into the channel below the floors of the cars and affecting the running gear of the latter. The afdvanced end edges of the trucks, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, are rabbeted o n the underside, and the rear ends of the ears are correspondingly vrabbeted on the other side, and `when any two cars are brought incontact, the end edges of one will overlap the end edges of the other.

The cars are provided with longitudinal parallel benches Gr of suitable refractory material that are located mediate their centers of width and their centers of sides. These benches Gr extend from end to end of the car and rise a considerable distance above the floor of the same and form supports on which the cast-ings', to be annealed, rest. The castings thus bridge over the space beings G, secured to the rails.

tween the benches andgpermit a better eirculation of the heat `betiveen them and the Hoor of the car. As before intimated, when this improved furnace is in operation the channel is lled with trucks from` one end of the furnace to the other, and in order to accommodate the passage of the benches G of the trucks at each end'of the furnace, the lower edges of the vertical doors B and D are provided with recesses B and D, substantially as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

rlhe upper part of the discharge end of the 'furnace is providedl with a drop-wail C and oil-burners, l, are inserted therethrough which force immense flames into the furnace at a slightly downward angle, at a suitable point below the roof, and the iames and heat' from the burners is carried the entire vlength of the furnace heating the same thoroughly and gradually brought nearer and nearer the work by the inclined ceiling of the same, and in every part.. Near the charging end of the furnace the floor thereof, on either side of the car channel, is provided with downward extending shafts /L into which the heated products of combustion from `the furnace discharge and are directed thereby to and out of the lateral fiuesj with which the lower ends. of shafts /L communicate.

The rails c of the track upon which the cars travel are extended beyondl the ends of the furnace a suitable distance, and terminate at the mouth of elevator-shafts 2 and 3, respectively. Shaft Q is provided with a suitable elevator 4f, which is provided with .rails 5 of the same gage that aline with rails c, c, and when the elevator is at the limit of its upward movement, and the ear is run out of the furnace, itl advances step by step until it finally moves to and onto the elevator-platform until it comes in contact with and is stopped by the metal. stop-cast- As the car moves onto the platform the'castings supported by the benches G of the same pass above the end reachesof parallel receiving rails 7 7. The distance between rails 7 is less than the distance between benches Gr, Gr, and as the -elevator platform is lowered thereon, the castings on the ear will come in contact with the overhanging reaches of the receiving rails and the truck will thereby be relieved from the weight of the same. Elevator 4 is raised and lowered through the medium of a. cylinder or piston 8, and when it reaches the lower limits of its movement the upper surface of its platform will be in the same plane as the floor of a tunnel l). This tunnel 9 extends longitudinally under the surface tracks c, C, of the furnace and its approaches, and is provided with rails 10 of the same gage as the tracks c. o, which extend thefull length of the tunnel and terminate at their opposite ends in an elevator to its length toward the furnace, by a `hy-v.

Aconstruction and operation as cylinder 8' and the limit of its upward movement with'the -lift any castings orwork that may have'been Iannealing chamber, the liioor, of which 4is provided with a longitudinal channel, a

shaft 3. The side-walls of this tunnel are a downward continuation of the lower por- 'tion of thev side-waits ofthe channel of the fui-nace, and below tlie-iioorof said channel these" side-walls are provided with in-set channel-irons, the upper edges of which support cross-beams l2, Aupon which the metal. support 13 rests that sustains the refractory flooring of the car channel and its approaches. The bottoinof this tunnel is preferably made of suitablefconcrete material and inclined from shaftQ to a shaft 3 at a grade just siiiiicient to cause the cars, whenv they moveofll of the elevator 4,110 gravitate down toward shaft 3.

Shaft, lL is provided with an elevator la which, preferably, corresponds, in construction tothe elevatorplatform 4, vwhich is provided with a track corresponding to that in the tunnel. Thisv elevator operated through the medium of a cylinder and piston 1 6, that are 'substantially the same in its piston, and when an empty car is allowed to gravitate down through the tunnel, it will gravitate onto the elevator platform 14. Vhen the elevator platform Mis raised to car thereon, theA benches G of the car will previously mounted on .the overhandiiig reaches of delivering 17. Iii' this posi-l tion, the car upon the elevator platform willbe engaged, when-the properI tiine arrives, and moved forwardA a distance corresponding draulic or steam-ram 18,' and moved into engagement with the car preceding the same, and `thereby cause the whole train of ears'to. move forward and push a freshcar with its load into the furnace and` to discharge the car within the annealing chamber next the discharge-end thereof'out of the; furnace-1I the doors B and D having been previously lifted to permit 4this nio-vement to. takeplace, and then lowered Iagain when this general forward movement of the cars has taken place. D

What I claim as new is l. An annealing furnace comprising an series of separate physically" distinct cars having end to end contact -within said chaniiel, an endless 'runl therefor extendingy throughout its lengthi'n the same vertical planekwhich run passes'through and oiit of said chamber traversing said" channel, suitfi able closures for the ends" of saidchamber above the plane of the oors of said cars,v means for automatically unloading said cars beyond thedischarge end of 4said chamber, and means 'forautomatically loading the same before their entrance to said chamberf 2. An annealing furnace comprising -an ing with the structure of the side -walls ofthe channel, and suitable closures-foi' the ends of said chamber. v

3. An annealing furnace comprising an annealing chamber the Hoor of which is provided with a longitudinal channel, and longitudinal sand-troughs secured to the side walls of said channel', a series of end to end 4 cars, an' endless run therefor vextending y throughout itslength in the saine vertical plane which run passes through and out of said chamber, saidcars having depending Vside-] ila tesl the lower edges of which traverseand are .immersed in the sand. of said troughs substantially throughout their length, and

suitable closures for the ends of said cham-j loer.

4. An annealing furnace comprising an aiinealin'gchainber the floor of which is priovided with a vloifigitudinal channel, and which has a charging-opening at oneend 'and a discharging opening at the other, a series of end to end 'contacting cars, an endless' run therefor extending throughout its length in the I'saine lvertical plane which run passes through and'out of said chamber in' said channel, said cars having'their 'side edges engagingrthe structure of the side-'walls-of said channel, said cars haviiigtheir Hooi-s provided with raised structures Vfor support- -ing the work, .and doors for closing the end openings' of saidI annealing chamber, the lower edges of which are recessed to permit the passageof said raised structures.

5. An annealing furnace comprising' an annealing chamber having openings at both ends', aseries of cars, an endless run'there- .forexteiiding throughout its length in ,the

saine vertical planewhich run passes through andout of said chamber,-

said ears having their floors provided with longitudil nally disposed raised structures for supporting the work, and raising doors for closing the end' openings of saidchainber, the lower edgesV of which are recessed to permit the passageofsaid raised structures.

6. An annealing furnace jcoinprising an annealingchamber thefloor of which is provided with a longitudinal channeland proivided with Vopenings at' its ends, a series of end'to end, contacting ears, anendless run therefor extending throughout its length in the saine vertical plane which run/passes through and out 'ofsaid chamber in said channel, `said ears having` their floors provided with parallel longitudinall)7 disposed walls for supporting the work, and doors for closing the end openings of said annealing chamber Whose lower edges are recessed to permit the passage of said Walls:

7. An annealing furnace c oinprising an .annealing chamber the iloor of which is provided with alo'ngitudinal channel and has .v A,openings atits ends, a series of end to end f contacting cars, an endless run therefor exl tendiwg .throughout its length in the same -vertiy al plane which run passes through and out ,of said chamber in said channel, said car /having their. floors 'covered With refractor; material and their side edges provided vwith. depending s ealii'ig plates, longitudinal sand-troughs ,secured to -tlie side-Walls of said channel i-n which. the lower edges of said sealingplates are immersed, and doors closing the end openings of said chamber above the floor of said trucks.

.8. An annealing furnace comprising 'an annealing chamber provided with a charging opening at one end and a 'discharging opening at thev other, the ceiling of which slopes downward from the discharging end toward the charging end, and the floor of Which is provided with a longitudinal channel,.a series of end-to end contacting cars,

an endless runtraveled by said cars, Which latter, iii transit2 travel through said chamber in said channel and have their side edges ad'apted tosea-l the channels belowl their floors,.and raising doors adapted to close the end openings of the chamber above the floor of said cars. 5 9.v In an annealing furnace having an annealing eh'a'inber open at bothl ends, a tunnel extending in the same longitudinal direction .under the same and terminating at points Ibeyond the ends thereof, elevators connectinggthe ends of said tunnel with the surface, a ear adapted to be transferred fromthe surface to said tunnel Aand vice versa, and to traverse said chamber and tunnel in opposite directions, and closures for the ends of said chamber.

10. In an annealing furnace having an annealing chamber open a't both ends,a tunnel extending in the same longitudinal direction under the same and terminating at points ltions and closures for 1,oei,isa

beyond the ends thereof, elevators connecting the ends of said tunnel with the surface, a series of end to'eiid contacting cars adapted to be transferred fioin the surface to said tunnel and vice versa, and to traverse said chamber and tunnel .in opposite directlie ends of said chambers.

V u l1. In aiiannealing furnace having an annealing chamber open at both ends, a tunnel extending in the same longitudinel d1, rection under the same and terminating at points beyond` the ends thereof, and inclined downwardly from the end thereof adJacent to the discharge end of the chamber toward its opposite end, elevators connecting the ends of said tunnel with the surface, a series of cars that are adapted to be transferred from the 'surface'to .the tunnel and,vice versa, and to traverse said ychamber and tunnel in opposite directions, and closures for the ends of said cliainbers.-

l2. In an annealing furnace having an annealing chamber provided With a charging openingxat one en'd thereof and a discharge opening at its opposite end, and suitable closures for said openings, a tunnel extending longitudinally Aunder said annealing chamber Whose ends 'terminate beyond the ends thereof, elevators `connecting theends 'of said tunnel with the surface, strippingrails alining with the openings of said chainber the adjacent ends of which overhang the shafts in which said elevators operate, in combination vwith a car adapted to inove through'said chamber to and onto' said ele- `Mvater and dispose of its load upon said 

